Do you look after someone?

Are you a Carer?

“A Carer is someone who provides unpaid help and support to a relative, friend, or neighbour who could not manage on their own due to illness, disability, frailty, physical impairment, mental ill health or substance misuse.”

Does this sound like you? If so, you are a Unpaid Carer.  We are interested in identifying Carers, especially those people who may be caring without help or support.  We know that Carers are often “hidden” looking after a family member or helping a friend or neighbour with day to day tasks and may not see themselves as a Carer.

We feel that caring for someone is an important and valuable role in the community, which is often a 24-hour job that can be very demanding and isolating for the Carer.  We further believe Carers should receive appropriate support by way of access to accurate information on a range of topics such as entitlement to benefits and respite care and not least, a listening ear when things get too much.

Why Unpaid Carers are vital?

Unpaid Carers provide around 97% of the Care in the community and save the NHS in Wales over £8.1 billion each year. Princes Gardens Surgery recognises that Carers contribute a significant saving to the NHS by looking after relatives, neighbours or friends who might otherwise have to go into long term care.  Young Carers, under the age of 18 may be particularly vulnerable due to their inexperience and lack of life-skills.  Young Adult Carers, between the age of 18-25, can be the most hidden group of Carers in our society. Therefore we are committed to providing appropriate support and consideration to our patients who are Carers whatever their age.

Registering as a Carer – Benefits

If you are a Carer, please let your GP Surgery know. A Carers Registration/Referral Form is available in the surgery or by speaking to any staff member.

Why should you register as a Carer with your GP surgery?

Registering as a Carer may help your health care team to:

• understand your caring responsibilities.
• signpost you to information, help and support, either now or in the future.
• share information about the person you care for (with appropriate written
• consent).
• may provide more flexible appointments that reflect your caring role.
• offer you an annual flu jab (free).
• refer you to other services or organisations that might be able to help you.

Please contact the surgery by telephone on 01252 332210 or email the practice on Frimleyicb.PrincesGardensSurgery@nhs.net

We look forward to hearing from you. 

Practice Philosophy of Care for Learning Difficulties

The staff at Princes Gardens Surgery will provide a high standard of care and patients will benefit from the new care plan that we have now put into practice.

We will aim to promote good health through clinical skills, better communication, caseload management, effective use of resources and liaison with other agencies.

Our staff will work together as a team with the patients, families and carer all included so that we can provide the best individualised care, whilst maintaining their dignity, privacy and freedom of choice.

This aim will be achieved by using good communication skills and to encourage, where possible, independence for the patient.

Our practice aims to offer an honest, friendly and open environment giving support to patients, families, carers and professionals in the surgeries pursuit to provide the best possible care.

Our Approach

Health awareness plays an important part in the way we support people with a learning disability. Our work involves producing resources for health and social care professionals to enable them to better understand health, diet and nutrition. We also produce resources for people with a learning disability that can help them develop a better awareness of their own health, and give them tools for managing this.

People with a disability have a right to receive good healthcare. They will need healthcare in the same way that everyone else will, and some people with a disability will have additional health needs. Often, they need more support to understand information about their health, especially communicating symptoms and concerns, and to manage their health adequately.

There are 3 simple things all health practitioners can do to ensure that people with a learning disability get the healthcare they need:

• Allow longer appointment times
• Communication with the individual (verbal and non-verbal)
• Listening to the knowledge of their families and carers and most important, equally valuing the life of a person with a learning disability

If you need extra support during your appointment time then please let our reception team know and we will do our best to support this.